


You Make Me Feel...

by Riku_Arisato



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal Life, Developing Relationship, First Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, M/M, Romance, Sports Mishima
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-04-08 09:13:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14102160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riku_Arisato/pseuds/Riku_Arisato
Summary: Love isn't always easy to express in words.





	1. I asked out the extremely handsome transfer student

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confessing: When your heart speaks for you

“Thanks for coming over to help me, Mishima-kun.”

Yuuki smiled at his classmate. “It’s not a problem at all, Kurusu-kun! I should be the one thanking you.”

This is suspicious. That was the only thought that ran through Yuuki’s mind.

No matter how many times he thought it over, none of this added up at all. Ever since Akira Kurusu transferred to Shujin Academy a few months ago, he quickly gained a reputation for being handsome, cool, and incredibly smart. All of that attributed to how he quickly gained many friends and admirers. So it just made him all the more suspicious as to why Akira asked _him_ of all people to come over and study. Considering the natural charisma Akira seemed to possess, no one would ever reject him.

…And that’s exactly how Yuuki Mishima ended up in this exact predicament.

It's not that he couldn't say no, but he thought Akira had invited others as well since he called it a "group study date." He had secretly hoped Akira would've invited some female classmates, but alas, it was just the two of them.

Letting out a sigh as he finished packing away all his notebooks, Yuuki proceeded to sling his bag over his shoulder. “Alright, I should be heading home now.”

"Actually, can you stay a bit longer?" Akira asked as he finished clearing the table they used to study. “I was hoping that I could make a drink for you as thanks. It’ll be on the house.”

"…There isn't any ulterior motive behind this, I hope?" Yuuki questioned suspiciously. He was fully prepared to pull his wallet out of his school bag to pay in case Akira decides to hold this against him sometime in the future.

Akira chuckled and shot him a smile. "I was actually hoping to make you fall for me, but it looks like I've been caught red handed."

And there it was. For some reason, ever since the two of them had become close friends, Akira always throws casual flirty comments his way. Personally, he doesn’t get why Akira does it. Probably to embarrass him since girls never flirt with him, or maybe Akira gets some kind of kick out of it. Whatever it is, Yuuki usually tries to respond by brushing it off as a joke or ignoring it all together.

"Haha, very funny." Yuuki responded dryly as he took a seat near the bar and set his bag aside. "So what were you planning to make?"

"I have an idea, but do you have anything in particular you like, Mishima-kun?” Akira questioned as he tied the apron around his waist. After making sure the knot was secured, he went to retrieve a clean mug.

Yuuki shook his head. “I’m actually not too sure… I’ll just leave it up to you since I don’t come to coffee shops very often.”

The actual truth was that he wasn’t too fond of coffee. He was more of an energy drink kind of person whenever he needed a kick to help him stay up. All past experiences he’s had with coffee were that it was a gross, bitter bean juice.

He just didn’t have the heart to tell Akira that, in fear of offending the part-time barista.

At the mention of that, Akira smiled as he filled a frothing pitcher with milk and placed the steam wand into it. “Alright, so you won’t tell if I mess this up a little.”

A chuckle escaped Yuuki’s lips in response before he brought his hand up to stifle the rest of his giggles. “So even a cool guy like you can mess up?”

Akira’s lips curved into a catlike grin as he set aside the pitcher to let the milk foam sit while he put a mixture of flavored syrups in the mug. “Oh, so you think I’m cool? I’m flattered.”

That comment caused heat to rise to Yuuki’s cheeks. Huffing to hide his red face, Yuuki looked away stubbornly. “Stop being so cheeky. Girls at school are always talking about you. Like how you're handsome and smart, all that."

As he said that, he felt his heart sink a bit when the realization hit that Akira was basically the embodiment of everything he wanted for himself. He won't deny that he's a bit jealous of his friend's popularity, but it's not like that's Akira's fault. A lot of his problems stems from himself in the first place, after all.

“Hm? Is that right?” Akira's chuckle snapped Yuuki out of his train of thought. After pouring an espresso shot into the mug and stirring it to mix the shot with the syrup, he walked off to get the milk he steamed earlier and he added, “Unfortunately, I don’t feel the same amount of flattery like when you say it.”

Quickly, Yuuki turned towards him. “Wha-?!”

“Here, it’s done.” Akira cut him off by placing a mug in front of him. “It's still pretty early, so drinking this right now shouldn’t keep you up too late tonight. I hope you enjoy it.”

Yuuki puffed his cheeks a bit. There goes Akira, flirting again. It seems to become more and more frequent as they continue to hang out together.

Shrugging off the embarrassment he felt, he looked at the mug and began to admire the cute foam cat on the top of his drink. “Wow, how’d you do this?”

“Lots of practice. I’m glad my first time getting it right was for you.” Akira responded as he washed the frothing pitcher.

Yuuki pressed his lips together to stop himself from smiling at that comment. If there were a hint of smile on his face, he would put the blame on the cat if Akira were to ask.

Part of him wondered if Akira acts this way towards any girls that he likes. As far as he knew, Akira only seemed to talk to girls at an extremely casual level. Maybe Akira hasn't met a girl he likes yet? But he's always hanging around popular girls at school like Ann or the student council president. Though he recalls Akira saying that they're just friends in order to dispel any rumors of a possible romantic relationship between him and those girls.

When there was no retort in response to his little comment, Akira looked over his shoulder to see Yuuki continuing to stare at the foam cat. “As cute as it is, I recommend drinking it while it’s still hot.”

Yuuki frowned a bit. He really didn't want to drink it, but Akira had already gone through the trouble of making it so it would be rude to refuse by now. Despite hoping he could fend off the inevitable, he took the mug in his hands and closed his eyes before taking a very small sip. At first, he expected a bitter taste to hit the tip of his tongue. To his surprise, the drink was creamy and had a bit of a fruity taste. He began to wonder if there actually was any coffee in it. Before he realized it, he had downed half of the drink before pulling the mug away from his mouth. “It tastes sweet and I can barely taste the coffee in it… This is probably the best drink I've ever had!”

A chuckle escaped Akira's lips as he wiped the counter clean of stray coffee grinds. “You’re not just saying that to be nice, right?”

Baffled, Yuuki placed the mug down on the counter in front of him and shook his head furiously. “O-Of course not!” To emphasize his point, he took a larger sip and sighed happily. “In fact, I’d love to have a drink like this made by you every morning if I could!”

Akira’s actions were halted and his dark gray eyes widened with pure disbelief as he stared at Yuuki.

It took him a while, but once he realized the meaning in his words, Yuuki quickly brought his hands up to hide his red cheeks. “I-I mean-!“

Why did he even say that in the first place?! Akira’s always tease flirting with him, but that was always a joke! Does Akira even _swing_ that way?

Actually, did _he_ swing that way? Now that Yuuki’s thinking about it, he’s only ever had attractions towards girls, both 2D and real. But being attracted to a _guy_? The thought never crossed his mind before.

Yuuki looked at Akira’s face for a second before looking away. True to what he hears from his fellow classmates, Akira is definitely handsome. After getting to know him, Yuuki knows for a fact that Akira is a really nice guy. He’s definitely perfect boyfriend material, but dating him? Does he even _like_ Akira that way? But they're just friends!

…Right? That's all they were…

At that moment, he wished he could run out screaming that he didn’t mean it that way. Or that he could laugh it off as teasing as revenge for all the times Akira teases him. But nope, nothing could come out of his mouth. Or rather, nothing _coherent_ could come out of his mouth if he had tried.

As Yuuki continued to mumble unintelligible babble, Akira’s lips curved into a smile as he took the empty mug over to the sink. “Well, it’s too soon for a marriage proposal, so how about we try dating first and seeing how that goes?”

Snapping out of his trance, Yuuki looked at Akira and tilted his head to the side in confusion. “…Huh…?”

“Or do people in Tokyo skip dating and go straight to marriage?” Akira asked nonchalantly as he was taking his apron off.

Suddenly gaining the feeling in his legs again, Yuuki abruptly got up from his seat and nearly screamed. “N-NO! I mean…” Sitting back down and staring at the dark wood counter of the bar, he whispered, “The part about d-dating…?”

Akira nodded as he leaned over the bar, resting his arms on the bar right across from Yuuki. “Yeah, well, we can try dating first unless you want to skip that and marry me instead-“

Yuuki held his hand up to stop Akira from talking as shook his head. “Not that part.” Taking a deep breath, he finally managed to calm down enough to get his point across. “What I mean is… You’re okay with dating me? E-Even though I'm a guy?”

That last part took a lot of courage to get out. While he understands times are different compared to before, two guys together was still very much looked down upon by people around them. If they were to be together, they can't be public about their relationship like other couples. Would Akira be okay with something like that? If he was with a girl, he wouldn't have to worry about things like that. He could have a happier relationship with someone else…

"Mishima…?" Akira brought a hand up to caress his cheek before using his thumb to wipe away the tears Yuuki didn't even realize were there.

"Huh? When did I…?" Yuuki questioned as he brought his own hand up to wipe away the tears. "I-I'm sorry, I just…"

This is just embarrassing now… Why the heck did he start crying all of a sudden?

"Please look at me." After the tears had stopped flowing, Yuuki slowly looked at Akira and his breath was caught in his throat as Akira looked at him with the softest look in his eyes he’s ever seen. “I just want you, Mishima.”

* * *

“I’ll see you at school tomorrow, Mishima.” Akira smiled as he waved goodbye.

Not looking up from the ground as he made his way to the front door of his home, Yuuki gave a small nod without turning around to face his classmate. “Y-Yeah, I’ll see you tomo-“

Caught by surprise, he flinched as a hand came into contact with his shoulder. Hesitantly, Yuuki looked over the hand on his shoulder to see Akira looking at him with eyes full of concern. “Sorry, did I do something wrong…?”

Quickly, Yuuki turned around to face him, shaking his head. “N-No, it’s not your fault, Kurusu-kun! I was just surprised all of a sudden…”

The hand that was once on Yuuki’s shoulder made it’s way to the back of Akira’s head. “Yeah, that’s understandable…”

The two boys looked away from each other. An awkward silence surrounded them as they just stood there for what felt like hours. As the silence persisted, Akira brought a hand up to play with his bangs nervously while Yuuki tugged at the end of his own sleeve.

Taking a deep breath to ease his nerves, Yuuki looked at Akira. “So… Can I ask why you grabbed me like that all of a sudden…?”

“Ah, well…” Akira's eyes met Yuuki’s. “I was worried, but not anymore.”

Confused by his response, Yuuki blinked a few times while trying to process the answer. “'Worried'…?”

Akira nodded as he took a couple steps towards the shorter boy. “You didn’t look at me at all on the way, so I was wondering if you were upset with me. I did make you cry earlier, after all…”

“Oh, I’m sorry if that was how I was coming off…!” This time, Yuuki nervously brought a hand up to the back of his head. “I wasn’t upset, it’s more like I wasn’t sure how to act towards you now… It's just… Everything that happened back at Leblanc was overwhelming for me. You see, I’ve never experienced d-dating someone before so I wasn’t sure what to do. I'm just worried about the worst that could happen and all that, so I-“

Stopping him before he could go on any further, Akira brought a hand up to caress the side of Yuuki’s head before leaning in to plant a small peck in his hair. “Don’t worry too much, Mishima. We can take things slow, so just treat me the same as usual, okay?” As Akira leaned away, he waved goodbye. “See you tomorrow?”

Yuuki, with bright red cheeks and a repressed smile, looked up and waved. “See you tomorrow.”

With one final smile, Akira turned and walked away. Once he was out of sight and the sound of his footsteps was gone, Yuuki brought a hand up to his cheek and pinched it hard. Once his mind finally registered that everything that had happened was indeed real, Yuuki fell to his knees and sighed. "I can't believe I just asked him out…"

Meanwhile, Akira was walking back home using the back of his hand to hide his grin and burning red cheeks. “He’s so damn cute! I can’t believe teasing him finally worked!”

* * *

Extra:

_How to tell if a guy likes you?_

"And… enter! Alright, let's see…" Yuuki's eyes began to skim through the results that popped up before frowning and leaning back in his chair. "Google, you're not helping me!"

Of course all the top results led to female-orientated websites…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave it to this ship to bring me back to writing fics. Anyway, I've been out of the writing game for literal years, so my writing is very rusty. I tried my best and hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things as time goes on.
> 
> I just have to feed my need for Shuyuu fics.
> 
> Comments would be appreciated.


	2. The happiness in rainy days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainy days: When lovers can walk closer together

_“Mishima, you understand, right? It’s just something I have to do if you fall behind the rest…”_

Yuuki frowned and let out a sigh as the coach's words echoed in his mind. Of course on top of being told by the coach that he might be dropped from the starting line up if he doesn’t improve like everyone else, the rain that the news warned about a few days ago would come when he was having a bad day. It's like mother nature knew he forgot his umbrella today. “I guess could use my jacket for cover…”

“Mishima, are you done now?”

Yuuki flinched from surprise before turning around to see Akira leaning with his back against the wall and holding a slightly damp umbrella. “Huh? Kurusu-kun? How long have you been there?”

Akira pushed himself off the wall and his eyes shifted to the side. “…A while.” When Akira looked back at Yuuki, he let out a sigh and put both of his hands up when Yuuki just responded with crossed arms and a raised brow. “Okay, I was waiting here since classes ended… I know you had practice today, but I really wanted to walk home with you today."

“You could have gone home.” Yuuki frowned when he thought about how long Akira must’ve been waiting for him. “It must’ve been boring waiting so long…”

Yuuki’s volleyball practices didn’t go on for too long, but he took extra time afterwards to get more practice for himself once everyone else left. That talk with the coach hit his ego hard, and he decided to turn that into motivation to work harder. Without realizing, Yuuki took up at least an extra hour for himself. His mood soured even more at the thought of being the reason Akira’s time was wasted.

“Are you kidding me?” Akira almost looked offended. “Being able walk my boyfriend home is worth all the wait.”

Yuuki looked away as his cheeks flushed a bit. Even though it’s almost been a month since he and Akira started dating, he still wasn’t quite used to hearing the term, especially when that term is referring to him.

Akira almost immediately noticed Yuuki’s red cheeks and his signature catlike grin curled on his lips. “Hmm? Are you still embarrassed hearing me call you my boyfriend?”

“No, I’m not! I’m embarrassed by how ridiculous you are.” Yuuki retorted with a pout. “Let’s just go before the rain gets worse.”

“Yes, yes… Oh, but first,” Akira dug through his school bag and pulled out an energy drink before handing it to him. “Good work at practice today.”

Taking the drink, Yuuki stared at it while Akira proceeded to open his umbrella and put it up. Getting a drink from your boyfriend when you finished practice… It was such a small gesture, but it was enough to make his heart swell with happiness.

Yuuki smiled as his grip on the bottle tightened. “Thanks…”

Looking over his shoulder, Akira couldn’t stop the smile that curled on his own lips when he saw his boyfriend’s smile. “You’re welcome.”

Once Yuuki joined him under the umbrella, they began their walk home.

“Still, don’t you think leaving school to get me a drink and coming back only to wait a few hours for me to finish practice isn’t… You know, too much?” Yuuki questioned as he finished his drink.

Akira shook his head. “Nope, too much would be me carrying you in my arms all the way so you can rest your legs.”

Yuuki snorted as he recalled the times that Akira nearly passed out during their last physical education period. “You and I both know that’d end up failing since you’re less athletic than me.”

Akira’s cheek puffed up cutely. “I’ll prove to you I can be athletic. Let’s go to the gym together someday and I’ll show you!”

“Right…” Yuuki chuckled at seeing his expression.

It was nice, being able to spend time alone with each other. Despite dating, the two of them haven’t found a lot of time to be alone together aside from study dates at Leblanc and the occasional lunch at school where they were usually joined by Ryuji.

They’ve only been together for a short time, but parts of Yuuki wanted to be closer to Akira… Not just emotionally, but physically. During their time together, he has desired to hold Akira’s hand when they walk together, he wants to embrace him before they bid each other goodbye, and most of all, he wants to kiss him.

“Oh, we’re here.” Akira commented as he slowed to a halt in front of Yuuki’s house.

Yuuki frowned a bit, secretly wished they could spend more time together. “It seemed so short…”

“Actually," Akira moved so that he stood right in front of Yuuki. "we walked past your house a couple times, but you didn’t notice until I pointed it out just now.”

“H-Huh? Really?” Was he really spacing out that much?

Nodding, Akira brought his free hand up to Yuuki’s cheek and stoked it with his thumb. “You looked upset when you got out of practice, so I was hoping to cheer you up by spending some extra time with you. It doesn’t look like that was enough though…”

Yuuki’s chest suddenly felt extremely heavy. Does this mean mood affecting Akira too? “I-I’m sorry, I-“

“Mishima, I don’t want you to apologize for how you’re feeling right now.” Akira cut him off with a frown. “Yes, the way you feel affects me, but that’s just because I care about you so much.”

When he said this, Yuuki noticed one of Akira’s shoulders was wet. “Kurusu-kun… Your shoulder…”

Akira waved it off dismissively. “I just wanted to make sure you were completely dry, but that’s beside the point,” He paused to take a breath and gather his thoughts. “I know that there will be bad days, but I want you to know that I’ll be there for you. If you need to find comfort in someone, you can come to me. If you want to be left alone, then I’ll wait for you until you're ready. I just want you to know that you always have me, so you don’t have to keep everything bottled up.”

Yuuki’s hand tightened into a fist over his chest and he looked to the side to avoid Akira's gaze. “But I don’t want to be a burden to you…”

“Mishima, your burdens are lighter when you let other people help you carry them.” Akira then returned to Yuuki’s side before trying to lighten the mood with a small smile. “Now, if you want, you can go home and spend some time alone if you need it. Or, we can go around the block one more time and you can tell me what’s going on.”

He knows Akira probably doesn't realize it, but those words lifted a weight off of Yuuki’s heart. Those words encouraged him to throw his hesitation aside as he cuddled up closer to Akira’s side. “So, um… T-Today at practice, the coach said I haven’t been performing very well, so I might get dropped from the starting line up."

“Ah, so that’s why you stayed later than everyone else?” Akira asked as he began to walk.

Yuuki nodded while his eyes shining with determination. “Yeah… I don’t want to feel like I’m falling behind. If I fall behind, I want to work hard and improve for myself.”

Akira smiled encouragingly. “That's very admirable, you know? Not many people have what it takes to turn that kind of feedback into motivation."

Yuuki's eyes lit up as he looked towards Akira. "R-Really?"

His taller boyfriend nodded reassuringly. "It’s good to see you working hard to achieve your goals, Mishima. Your hard work will pay off in the end, I’m sure.”

The more he talked, the lighter his chest felt. By the time they made it back to his house again, he felt infinitely better. “Kurusu-kun, thank you for hearing me out. I feel a lot better now!”

“I’m glad I could be there for you.” Akira smirked mischievously before adding, “Having you cuddle up next to me that entire time was nice, too.”

“I-I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t get wet this time!” Yuuki affirmed, not just to Akira, but also to himself. He totally wasn’t using it as an excuse to be closer to Akira. Nope.

As he opened the door to his home, he recalled how Akira’s school blazer had gotten wet. “Oh actually, can you wait here for a bit, Kurusu-kun? I’ll be right back.”

“S-Sure…?” Akira muttered with slight confusion as Yuuki went inside.

A few minutes passed before Yuuki came back with a small towel, using it to dry Akira’s slightly damp shoulder. “It’s not much, but keep dry on your way home.”

Akira couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the gesture. “You’re so cute!”

Yuuki groaned as he hid his pink face in his hands. “And you’re so embarrassing! C’mon Kurusu-kun, you need to go home before it gets too late!”

“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Before leaving, Akira took one of Yuuki’s hands in his own to plant a small kiss on his knuckle.

Yuuki’s cheeks went from pink to red within a couple of seconds. “Y-Yeah, see you…”

Just when he thought his face couldn’t turn a deeper shade of red, Akira bid him farewell with a flirty wink before walking off.

Once inside the safety of his house, Yuuki rested his back against the door and let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. His eyes then shifted over to the hand that Akira had kissed, smiling to himself as he recalled the warm sensation that Akira’s lips left.

“…He won’t know about this, so he can’t tease me about it later.” Yuuki reassured himself before bringing up that hand to his own lips and kissing the same spot Akira did.

Meanwhile, at home, Akira admired the pictures he took of Yuuki while he was practicing. When he swiped onto one where Yuuki is holding a ball under his arm while wiping away sweat from his forehead, Akira smiled and saved it as his wallpaper before resting his phone on his chest. “Bless my boyfriend’s sports uniforms…”

* * *

Extra:

**From: Akira**

> **So, did you return my kiss? ;)**

Yuuki coughed as he read the text. “H-How did he know?!”

In less than a minute after sending that text, Akira’s phone dinged. “Hm? That was faster than usual.” 

**From: Yuuki**

> **Of course not. >:c**

Akira laughed at the reply before sending a good night text along with a string of ridiculously cheesy kissing and heart emoticons.

“Alright, onto more serious matters…” Taking off his glasses and setting them beside his phone, he sat on his bed and leaned forward to rest his elbows against his knees while he tented his hands near his face.

He hummed as he stared at the towel that Yuuki lent him that rested on a chair in front of him. “It won’t be weird if I sleep with it, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn’t even have this chapter planned out in advance like I normally do with my stories. It’s been raining a lot lately, so I guess I was inspired to write a rainy day scenario. 
> 
> I also want to add that the fan art of sports Mishima is really good, I highly recommend looking some up. Sports Mishima needs more love, in fics and in fan art.
> 
> I want to say thank you to the readers that decided to leave comments and kudos on the first chapter! I'll be honest, I'm not used to not getting comments on my works, so I was pleasantly surprised to log on and see that I had gotten some! The motivation I got from the comments was inspiring me to write more, so that's how I managed to finish this pretty quickly since I really can't express how thankful I am other than getting out another chapter as soon as I could.
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated!


	3. It's the coffee that's bitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jealousy: When you fear losing someone precious to someone else

_"In other news, today we will be having covering an exclusive interview with one of the top models currently within the industry! Please welcome our special guest, Chinatsu Amami-"_

With the press of a button from the remote, the TV was shut off and Akira set the remote back in it's place before going back to tend to his other closing duties. "Pardon me, but we'll be closing within 15 minutes. If you wish to make any other orders, please do so now."

The last customer, a pretty girl sitting at the bar with a half empty mug, shook her head. “I don't have anything to order, but Kurusu-kun, has anyone ever told you that you’d look even _better_ without your glasses?”

Akira looked up at the girl before shaking his head and returning his attention to wiping down the counter. “Kitamura-san, it’s actually the glasses that are helping me see better.”

The girl called Kitamura puffed her cheeks up and whined in a cutesy tone, “Why can't you humor me for once?”

“I was trying to humor you, Kitamura-san. I think what I said was pretty funny." Akira joked.

"Boo, Kurusu-kun’s no fun…" She muttered as she ran her finger along the handle of her mug.

"You say that, but this is the third time this week you’ve come in when I’m working. You also always seem to come when it’s close to closing.” Akira commented as he neatly folded the towel he was using to wipe the counters before checking the sink to see if there were any mugs waiting to be washed.

Kitamura giggled, leaning forward and resting her arms against the bar while her chocolate brown eyes surveyed Akira's figure from bottom to top. “I’m happy you’ve noticed. I just like coming in when you work because you make the perfect drink. And if I come in late, it means that I get to spend some quality time with you."

Despite the slight discomfort he felt at her rather obvious advances, Akira shook it off and gave a small smile in response. “W-Well, I’m glad to hear that I can make a good drink.”

_Oh brother…_

Yuuki couldn’t help but sigh mentally and roll his eyes at her ~~rather pathetic~~ attempts at making passes at Akira. One would think that after multiple failed attempts, she’d stop trying. However, unfortunately for them, this girl was persistent in every aspect of the word.

“Actually, do you mind telling me when your next day off is, Kurusu-kun?” She questioned with a flirtatious smile. “Any day is fine with me if it means seeing you~”

Akira’s eyes peeked over to look at Yuuki for a brief moment, letting out a nervous chuckle as he noticed the dirty glare his boyfriend was shooting in her direction. “Kitamura-san, while I am flattered, I have to refuse. I’m already spoken for, after all.”

Yuuki couldn’t help but smile smugly to himself as he took a sip from his mug. Meanwhile, Akira was letting out a mental sigh of relief.

She huffed haughtily and crossed her arms in a stubborn manner. “It’s just a date, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal! Are you really sure? You don't know what you're missing out on.”

At this point, Yuuki’s eye began to twitch in annoyance. It was taking every fiber of his being to not slam down his mug in an attempt to make his presence known to her. While he usually tries his best to ignore this girl’s bold declarations of wanting to date his boyfriend, having to hear this for the umpteenth time now was wearing away at his patience.

Akira took notice of this before looking back at Kitamura and nodding firmly. “Yes, I’m absolutely sure. You should head home now before it gets too late.”

It took a few minutes, but she finally conceded and gave a defeated sigh. Flipping her curled bleached blonde hair over her shoulder, she bent down to get her bag before heading towards the door. “My offer still stands, Kurusu-kun. I’ll be back again tomorrow~” To further emphasize her point, she blew a kiss to him before leaving.

Once the door shut, Akira gave a tired groan before washing the mug she had left behind. “Customers like that are always so hard to deal with, but it feels like she’s in a league of her own. Wouldn’t you say so, Mishima?”

“Mm…” Yuuki hummed from his seat as he typed away at his laptop.

Noticing the dismissive tone, Akira quickly untied his apron with one swift movement and tossed it aside. Once he occupied the seat right next to his boyfriend, he rested his head against his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek into his shoulder. “Alrighty, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing, the coffee is just a bit bitter today…” Yuuki grumbled sarcastically.

Akira gasped. “No way, really?! I swear I made it your usual! Did I mess it up?”

“No!” Yuuki frowned as he continued to type in a rather aggressive manner. “It’s Kitamura-san! Can’t you just- You know? Kick her out for that?”

Akira frowned and sat up straight as he explained, “It’s not that simple, Mishima… While she is rather aggressive with her flirting, she’s still a paying customer. She hasn’t done anything that gives me the right to tell her to leave. I really wouldn't want to cause any trouble for Sojiro-san.”

Once he finished typing away at the word document on his screen, Yuuki shut his laptop and looked at Akira with narrowed eyes. “Then… I don’t know…? Stop working the closing shifts?”

Akira awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Well, I have school during the day, so closing shifts are all that I can work.”

Annoyed, Yuuki groaned before leaning forward to rest his head against the bar. “Can’t you just work somewhere else then…?”

_Preferably somewhere where you don't have to deal with people like her_ …

Yuuki was being unreasonable, he knew that very well, but he’s rightfully so! It’s not easy watching a girl make passes at your boyfriend every single time he’s working. Especially since (according to Akira) she’s been at this for a while now, even before he and Akira started dating. After seeing it in person, he just downright hates the thought of girls talking to Akira like that.

Shaking his head in an attempt to shake away his thoughts, Yuuki looked back at Akira. “Anyway, it’s just… She’s not stopping! Don’t think I forgot what she said yesterday!”

Akira’s eyes shifted upwards for a brief moment before he looked back at Yuuki with a confused shrug of the shoulders.

“She said that she’ll make you fall for her so you’d dump your girlfriend! Honestly, how did you forget that?!” Yuuki exasperated as he recalled the event clearly.

Akira blinked before replying like it was the most obvious answer in the world, “…But I don’t have a girlfriend. I do have a boyfriend though, and his name Yuuki Mishima. Oh, and he’s absolutely adorable! I remember staring at him yesterday while he was hard at work to study for our next big test.”

“…I’m dating you and even _I_ feel disgusted at how cheesy that was…” Yuuki sighed as he leaned back in his chair to stare up at the ceiling of Leblanc. “This is frustrating… Do you even understand how I feel?”

“Ah!” Akira’s eyes lit up and he hit his fist against his other hand as if he had made a big discovery. “Mishima, could it be that you’re jealous?”

Of course he was. “Of course not!”

Not saying anything, Akira gave him a look before he finally caved.

“Alright, fine, I am… It’s just…” Yuuki gave a defeated sigh before looking Akira in the eye. “I just don’t like seeing people talking to you like that right in front of me… It’s already hard enough that we're hiding our relationship… I can’t just go up to girls and say ‘Hey, he’s my boyfriend and I want you to stop making passes at him.’”

_I just want people to know that you’re mine…_

While he wanted to say that, he’d never have the gall to tell him that. At least, not yet.

Akira propped an arm up against the bar, hand resting against his chin. “Is there any way that I can put your worries at ease?”

“Huh?” Yuuki was confused. Something Akira could do? Well, he had listed some suggestions earlier, but Akira had good reasons for not being able to abide by them. “I can’t really think of anything…”

Humming thoughtfully, Akira got out his phone and began to mess with it. After he was done, he set it down on a nearby table and got out of his seat. The sound of an acoustic guitar began to play as Akira offered his hand to Yuuki. “Mishima, your hand?”

“Kurusu-kun, what are you up to?” He questioned suspiciously. Despite the apprehension in his tone, he still put his hand in Akira’s.

Without another word, Akira led him out of his seat and stood in the empty area of the café. Once they were where he wanted them to be, Akira placed Yuuki’s other hand on his shoulder. “Okay, now put this hand right here and just keep it there.”

Yuuki’s cheeks began to flare red due to their proximity. Despite dating for a few months now, they've yet to be this close to each other. “K-Kurusu-kun! What are you-?”

“Just follow my lead.” Akira cut him off before placing his hand against his waist and began to lead him across the floor in a slow dance.

While Akira’s body swayed smoothly to the song playing from his phone, Yuuki clumsily tried to keep up without stepping on Akira’s feet.

_An English song? Does he know English? Actually, since when was he good at dancing_ …?

Yuuki wondered to himself as they separated into an open position before Akira pulled him back towards him again. Now that he thought about it, he recalled Akira talking about his love of music and the art of dance. He didn't think Akira's appreciation for the art also included having some skill in said field.

Amidst his thoughts, Yuuki lost his focus and accidentally stepped on Akira's foot. "Oh, I-I'm so sorry!"

Instead of wincing in pain, Akira just chuckled as he continued to sway gracefully across the floor as if nothing happened. “You kinda suck at slow dancing, Mishima.”

“H-Hush! I didn’t even realize this is what you were trying to do…” Yuuki grumbled as he watched his footsteps, being extra conscious of where his feet were going this time.

Suddenly, Akira stopped moving and his hand left Yuuki’s hip to lift his chin up. “Don’t worry about your feet. Just look at me, okay?”

He began to wonder if Akira knew the effect that his words had on him. As if he was under some kind of spell, Yuuki kept his eyes locked with Akira’s captivating dark gray eyes and the worry of stepping on his taller boyfriend’s feet disappeared.

By some miracle, Akira was able to step in a rhythm that even Yuuki could keep up with while still keeping up with the beat of the song.

“You know,” Akira’s gaze softened and he smiled sweetly while his hand began to carefully cradle the back of Yuuki’s head. “I never really got the chance to look at your face so close before… Do you know that you have such a beautiful face?”

Yuuki’s heart skipped a beat and in his flustered state, he somehow found a way to trip over his own feet. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for a nasty fall. Thankfully Akira managed to miraculously turn his fall into a rather graceful dip right as the song ended before he was slowly lifted back up again. 

“…Yuuki…”

His eyes shot open and he was greeted with Akira’s face just a few inches away from his own, their noses brushed lightly against each other. In a panic, he backed away until he was a couple feet away from Akira.

_Wh-Wh-Wh-What was_ that _??? Did he just try to-?_

Once his mind registered what just happened and what he just did in response, his panic escalated further. “N-No, that’s not what I- I-I mean… D-Did I mess up?” That was a stupid question… Of course he messed it up! “Oh gosh, Kurusu-kun, I’m so sorry, I-“

To his surprise, Akira just closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around him. He could feel Akira’s shoulders shake as his chuckles tickled his ear. “Don’t worry, okay? You’re fine.”

“Y-You sure?” He was honestly prepared for Akira to at least be a _little_ upset that he had ruined the potential moment between them.

Akira nodded against his shoulder before pulling away to look at him with a forgiving smile. “We’ll always have more opportunities in the future. The perfect one will come eventually.”

With those words, Yuuki looked away bashfully. “T-That’s true…”

More opportunities in the future… His heart swelled happily at the thought of being together with Akira like this in the future.

“So, are you still worried?” Akira questioned curiously.

He did all that because of their discussion earlier? Yuuki hummed in thought before settling on, “…Just a little.”

Finally having stalled long enough to gathering the courage he needed, Akira took a deep breath before asking, “Then can I put your worries to rest by asking you out on a date?”

Surprised, he looked up at Akira with wide eyes. “W-What?”

To his surprise, Akira’s cheeks flushed pink and his eyes stayed glued to the wall while he played with the front of his bangs. This was probably the first time Yuuki's ever seen the Akira Kurusu flustered. “W-Well, I’m off next weekend… So I was thinking that it’s about time we finally go out together on a date. How does that sound?”

Instead of responding verbally, Yuuki practically ran into Akira’s chest and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist before nodding in his chest. Being this close, Yuuki could hear the surprisingly frantic pounding of Akira’s heart.

Akira, albeit surprised, chuckled at the action as he returned the embrace. “So next weekend… Is meeting at 10 okay with you?”

There was a single nod against his chest. “Mhm!”

He took the chance to run his hand through Yuuki's hair. “I’ll come get you at your house?”

Two nods this time. “Mhm mhm!”

Akira wanted to test something. “…So can we wear matching couple’s t-shirts-“

Yuuki looked up, his chin still pressed against his chest. “Don’t push it, Kurusu-kun.”

Well, he tried.

* * *

“So Kurusu-kun, about my offer…” Kitamura was at it again today.

However, unlike last time, Yuuki wasn’t annoyed as he listened in on this exchange before heading over to his usual seat in Leblanc. To his surprise, a mug with his usual order was already there along with a small note tucked under the foot of the mug.

_The perfect drink for my beloved_

Yuuki couldn’t help but snort at the reference to Kitamura.

“I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again,” Akira had his usual warm, customer-serving smile on his lips, but the cold tone of his voice was a stark contrast. “I’m taken, so I would appreciate if you’d stop coming onto me.”

Kitamura huffed haughtily as she pointed one of her perfectly manicured fingernails in Akira’s direction before declaring, “That’s exactly what makes me want you even more.”

Akira let out a tired sigh as he took her mug and plate to the sink. “You can try all you want, but my response will always be the same. I can assure you that nothing is going to change that."

Her eyes lit up at the potential challenge. "Well, you two haven't been dating for long, right? I bet that I-"

"Frankly, you aren’t my type.”

Yuuki choked on his drink and Kitamura’s mouth hung open in shock. “E-Excuse me?!”

“Did I stutter?” Akira questioned rather viciously. “Ya ain’t my type. Do I gotta repeat myself?”

Definitely caught off guard by Akira's drastic change from his usual demeanor, she coughed in order to regain her composure. However, the few beads of sweat running down the side of her forehead definitely betrayed her tone. “H-Heh, well makes sense! After all, only a real man would be able to handle a woman like me-“

“Yup, a man with lotsa money will be the only one willin’ to pay for those god-awful nails.” Akira countered with a smug grin.

Yuuki's mouth hung open with surprise as he began to wonder if the person talking right now was really Akira. He wasn’t even aware that the seemingly perfect, gentlemanly Akira could even say these things. Where was this side of Akira hiding all this time?

Kitamura was standing on cold feet now as she struggled to find some kind of retort. “Y-Yeah?! Well who the hell would want to drink your awful coffee in the first place?”

When he went silent, she really thought she had won. She really thought so, until Akira let out a scoff. “Says the girl who drank her entire drink before sayin’ that.”

True to what he said, the mug in front of her was completely empty with an evident pink lipstick mark stained on the rim.

“Didja run outta comebacks?” Akira teased as he took her empty mug. “I'll give ya the chance to leave and save the little dignity ya got left. If ya choose to come back, I expect the flirtin' to stop because I don't take kindly to your blatant disrespect for my relationship. D'ya understand?”

"I...!" She started until she got a good look at the cold glare Akira was giving her. Swallowing her words, Kitamura clicked her tongue angrily before slinging her bag over her shoulder and stomping out. "Don't ever expect me to be back then!"

Once the door slammed shut, Akira chuckled as he walked over to the sink. “Glad I finally got that off of my chest- Hm? Uh, Mishima? You okay?”

Yuuki’s eyes were wide with shock and he had a million questions on his mind but was only able to vocalize a few of them. “W-Was it okay for you to do that? Actually, what was that just now? You are Akira Kurusu, right?!”

“Uh…” Akira paused to turn on the sink. “In order… Yes. I talked about it with Sojiro-san and he didn't mind. Just now, that was a few months worth of frustration being released. Oh, and yes, I am Akira Kurusu, proud boyfriend of Yuuki Mishima.”

“That last part was unnecessary…” Yuuki mumbled with slightly pink cheeks.

“It was _definitely_ necessary.” Akira replied with a wink as he finished washing the dishes. “You know, it’s rather cute to see you jealous-“

He wasn’t, but he let Akira continue.

“But I wanted to do that to reassure that my heart will only belong to you.”

Despite those words sounding like they came from some cheesy shoujo manga he read when he was younger, they still somehow managed to make his heart flutter. “Thank you, Kurusu-kun…”

After hanging the mug in the dish rack, Akira walked over to where Yuuki sat. “Anytime, Mishima.”

Yuuki felt something warm against the side of his temple and he yelped in surprise. “W-Was that a k-“

“Yes, it was." He reassured as he sat next to him. "I hope you’re ready for the day I can get my aim right.” Akira punctuated his sentence by tapping his index finger against Yuuki’s lips.

Rolling his eyes, Yuuki chuckled before bringing up a hand to hide his growing smile. “You’re so cheesy that I’m cringing internally…”

“Shall I make it up to you this time by serenading you?” Akira offered with a sincere smile. “I'm pretty sure Ryuji has a Bluetooth speaker I could borrow to hold over my head while I stand on the street outside the window of your room-“

Yuuki groaned as he playfully pushed Akira’s shoulder. “Don’t you dare!”

* * *

Extra:

**From: Mishima**

> **Sakamoto-kun, I have a favor to ask.**
> 
> **If Kurusu-kun asks to borrow your Bluetooth speakers, please don't lend them to him.**

**From: Akira**

> **Can you do me a solid and lend me your Bluetooth speakers next week?**
> 
> **Please don't ask me why I need them.**

Ryuji's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the texts while he scratched his head. "W-What do I do…?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear that the dance scene wasn't because of the release of P5D and I promise that I didn't write it out of bitter feelings for Atlus not letting Mishima dance.
> 
> Honestly, aside from school taking up my time, I was actually in the middle of writing the draft for the original chapter 3 until the idea for this chapter popped into my head. The more I thought about it, it just made sense to publish this chapter before the one I was originally writing. That's part of why this chapter was taking so long to get out.
> 
> Anyway, I hope I was able to portray Akira's accent towards the end. I 100% headcanon that Akira has an accent and I like to think that he does his best to hide it, but it slips out once in a while.
> 
> Once again, I'd like to thank the people leaving comments and kudos! Knowing that there are people out there enjoying this work is really warms my heart. I appreciate you all!


End file.
